Weightlifting spotting machine

ABSTRACT

A weightlifting apparatus that supports a free weight barbell when activated using two counter-weight controlled support arms that are mechanically attached to a vertical support on a bench press system. The vertical supports each have a slide rail that is mechanically coupled to a locking assembly that acts to release the support arms using buttons. The support arms are attached to independent counterweights or springs by means of a cable. When released by a foot pedal these support arms are elevated by the counterweights. The support arms hold the barbell and prevent it from downward movement via the one-way locking assembly mounted to the support arms. The support arms work independently of one another so that a user may reset each support arm independently.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This U.S. non-provisional application claims the benefit of U.S.provisional Patent Application, Ser. No. 60/646,166, entitled“Weightlifting Spotting Machine,” filed on Jan. 24, 2005, having atleast one co-inventor in common with this application, which provisionalPatent Application is herein incorporated by reference. This U.S.non-provisional application claims the benefit of U.S. provisionalPatent Application Serial No. 60/710,872, entitled “WeightliftingSpotting Machine with Springs,” filed on Aug. 25, 2005, having at leastone co-inventor in common with this application, which provisionalPatent Application is herein incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND

The invention relates generally to free weight exercise equipment, andmore particularly to an improved self-spotting bench press system.

The use the barbells for conditioning and enhancement of the body'smuscular tone is widely practiced by a variety of people. Most commonweight training is executed with a spotter, that is, someone who canassist the lifter when they become fatigued, are having difficulty, orare about to drop the weight. Style, communication, consistency andreaction time are all factors that vary depending on the spotter beingused at any given time. Bench pressing, however, without a spotter canbe dangerous. Without someone to grab the barbell and prevent thebarbell from dropping on the weightlifter there is a significant dangerof serious injury due to fatigue or improper technique. This dangerexists in a wide variety of situations, from private to professionalweightlifting.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,249,726 is directed to a safety device for use inconjunction with bench press exercise equipment, wherein a pair of armscontrollable by the exerciser may be elevated into engagement with abarbell to raise it clear of the exerciser before the barbell canseriously injuring him should he be unable, due to fatigue, to raise thebarbell to its normal support panel off the bench. The elevatingmechanism may be a power operated Jack or counterweights normallycontrolled by a jack. This invention enables the user by activation ofan electric switch to raise and lower the structure which acts as asafety support for the barbells. A pair of limit switches may be engagedby an adjustable stop assembly to stop the arm once a predeterminedelevation is reached. The adjustable stop assembly also acts as aratchet to prevent inadvertent lowering of the arms.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,150,072 is directed to a free weightlifting apparatusadapted for return of a free-weight barbell to a stationary barbellsupport rack without other ancillary assistance for a lone exerciserparticipating in a variety of free weightlifting exercises. The frame israised and lowered by a hydraulic cylinder which is powered by anelectrically driven pump. Electrical switches on the support rack areactivated when the free-weight barbell depresses the sleeves, and theelectrical switches are deactivated when the barbell automatically rollsoff the sleeve and repositions itself on the support rack.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,273,506 is directed to a weightlifting station includinga pair of guideposts for guiding a barbell assembly in a verticaldirection. The barbell assembly includes a weight bar, a sleevetelescoped over the weight bar and stops attached to the sleeve withcatch pins to restrain the stops in any one of three conditions oforientation. In one condition, the catch pins lock the stops inengagement with apertures in the posts, thereby preventing verticalmovement of the bar from a selected vertical position. In anothercondition, the catch pins lock the stops in a position disengaged andremote from the apertures permitting the barbell assembly to slidevertically on the guide posts. In the third condition, a user maymanually rotate the sleeve, throughout a small range limited by thecatch pins from a position where the stops are fully engaged with theapertures, to a position where the stops are withdrawn from theapertures, thereby providing the user with a self stopping capability.In this invention there is no mechanism to pull up a support rackautomatically to a fixed position to hold the barbells.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,746,379 is directed to a self stopping safety benchpress comprising an adjustable bench and up-rights located on eitherside of the bench adjacent the lifters upper body. Lifting arms extendfrom the uprights into the barbells pathway and have the ability toslide up and down to contact the barbell and decrease the weight exertedon the exerciser. Hydraulic cylinders provide force to each lifting arm,which is depressed below the barbells path before use. When assistanceis needed, the exerciser releases a hydraulic restrictor valve causingthe arms to ascend removing a user determined amount of weight from thebarbell while permitting the user to continue performing repetitions. Asecond restrictor valve can allow only upward movement should theexerciser fail. A third flow restrictor valve adjusts the rate of armtravel. An air charged hydraulic accumulator provides the hydraulicpressure to the cylinders. This invention provides no mechanism to lockthe lifting arm in a position to hold the barbells in a predeterminedfixed position.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,689,027 is directed to an automatic spotting weightmachine used to support a weight bar and create an escape opening aftera failed bench press lift. In one of the embodiments, a foot releasemechanism and mechanical knuckle work in conjunction to drop the headend of the weight bench so that the weights are resting on a pair ofsupport bars. In one embodiment, there is a disclosed means ofcontrolling the drop of the bench portion of the weight machine so thatit is lowered gently.

It would therefore be desirable for an self-spotting safety bench pressthat assists in lifting barbells and automatically hold them in placewithout user assistance and without the use of electrical or hydraulicmotor means.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION

Briefly, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, aself-spotting bench press for safely supporting a barbell above aweightlifting bench having a pair of vertical supports with a slide railthat is coupled to the respective vertical support and a pair of supportarms. Each of the support arms is mechanically coupled to each of thevertical supports and to the slide rail and move independently of eachother. A locking mechanism is integrally attached to the each of thesupport arms. The locking mechanism has a locking arm that engages withthe slide rail to prevent vertical downward movement of the support armwhen the locking arm is in the locked position and to enable verticalmovement when the locking arm is in the unlocked position. Each supportarm is also lockingly engaged with a foot switch that when activatedacts to release a foot pedal locking arm to allow vertical movementalong the slide rail, using force provided by counter-weights or springtension.

DRAWINGS

These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the presentinvention will become better understood when the following detaileddescription is read with reference to the accompanying drawings in whichlike characters represent like parts throughout the drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the self-spotting bench press system ofthe present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side cutaway view of the vertical support and correspondingcounter weight assembly of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a top cutaway view of the support arm assembly and counterweight assembly of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a side view of the locking support mechanism of the presentinvention.

FIG. 5 is an alternative embodiment of the locking mechanism of thepresent invention that uses a weight instead of a locking arm spring.

FIG. 6 is a embodiment of the counter-weight assembly consisting of asingle-line diagram of a spring loaded assembly and locking supportmechanism of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present invention is a self spotting safety bench press with a pairof support arm's that may be elevated and locked into engagement withbarbells so the barbells can be rested on the support arm before thebarbells seriously injuring a user should the user be unable to raisethe barbell during a normal exercise routine. The support arms areindependently lifted by a pair of counter-weights and held in place bymechanical locking devices that allow only for upward movement of thebarbell and support arms while in the locked position. Thecounterweights are used to lift the support arms. While the support armshold the barbell, the exerciser can push upward on the barbell and thesupport arms will continue to move vertically upward and lock into thenext position available on the vertical support and thus prevent thesupport arms from moving downward. After the user regains control bylifting the barbells using the support arms, the barbells can be put onbarbell rests before the locking mechanism can be reset to its originalposition. Resetting the locking mechanism and returning the support armsto the original position does not require removal of the weight plateson the barbell to return the barbell to the barbell rests at the top ofthe vertical support. In this Specification the term barbells maycomprise a barbell rod and free weights physically attached to and inlocking engagement with the barbells, and a bench press may comprise anadjustable decline/incline military bench press.

FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of the present invention. The selfspotting safety bench press machine comprises a pair of verticalsupports 14 having a hollow center, barbell rests 26, slide rails withnotches 13, and support slide rails 20. Barbell rests 26 are fixedlyattached to vertical support 14 along an inside surface so as to enablesupport arm 11 to be movable along vertical support 14. This inventionalso comprises a foot pedal 27. The support arms 11 are verticallymovable along support slide rails 20. The support arm 11 has at an endbarbells stops 21 which will prevent the barbell from falling off theend of support arm 11. Foot pedal 27 is operable by a user to unlocksupport arm 11 such that support arm 11 is movable along verticalsupport 14 by a counter weight system illustrated further in FIG. 2.

FIG. 2 illustrates a cut-out view of a counter weight assembly andbearing support system of the vertical support 14. The counter weightassembly comprises a counter weight 15, a cable 19, and a pulley 18. Thecables attached at one and to the counter weight 15 and at the other endto the support arm 11. The counter weight is in a range from about 15 toabout 100 pounds. Although a counter weight range of about 15 to 100pounds has been selected in this embodiment any weight may be selectedthat will automatically raise support arm 11 so as to contact thebarbells and lock in place when the foot pedal switch 27 is activated.When a locking mechanism 23 (further described in FIG. 5) is unlockedthe counter weight 15 acts to pull up the support arm 11 along thevertical support 14. Locking mechanism 23 is fixedly attached to supportarm 11 and is further described in FIG. 5. Support based 29 is fixedlyattached to support slide rail 20, vertical support 14, and notchedslide rail 13 to provide support for these elements of the presentinvention. It is within the scope of this invention for cable 19 to be abelt, which may also be expandable and compressible, or a chain, or achord.

FIG. 3 is a top cut-away view of the support arm assembly and counterweight assembly of the present invention. A pulley 18 its fixedlyattached at the upper end and disposed inside vertical support 14. Acable 19 is movably attached to pulley 18 and is fixedly attached acounterweight 15 at one end. Counter weight 15 is disposed insidevertical support 14 and movable within vertical support 14. Flat bearing12 is movably coupled to notched slide rail 13 along the front surface,but not along the surface having notches. Linear bearing 17 its fixedlyattached to a support arm 11. Upper bearing and locking mechanicalsupport 22 is fixedly coupled to support arm 11 and provides rigidity tosupport arm 11. Upper bearing and locking mechanical support 22 isengagingly attached to notched slide rail 13. Barbell stop 21 is fixedlyattached to the front end of support arm 11 and acts to prevent barbellsand falling off support arm 11. A side surface 52 of support arm 11 isdisposed around linear bearing 17, support slide rail 20, verticalsupport 14, notched slide rail 13 and upper bearing and lockingmechanism support 22 to conceal these elements from view. Slide railsupport 16 is fixedly attached to a back surface of vertical support 14so that support arm 11 is movable along vertical support 14. Slide railsupport 16 is fixedly attached to support base 29 to provide rigidityand support to vertical support 14. A linear bearing 17 is moveablyattached to support slide rail 20 and acts to move up and down supportslide rail 20.

FIG. 4 illustrates locking mechanism 23. Locking mechanism 23 comprisesnotched slide rail 13 having a plurality of teeth 54 along a sidesurface, each notch in approximately 1 inch from the adjacent notch andmay be shaped having a flat surface at an upper end a ramp surface atthe lower end. The saw-tooth shape of the notches enable locking arm 30to engage and lock in place when a support arm 11 moves in a downwarddirection and to ratchet against the saw-tooth shaped notches whensupport arm 11 moves in an upward direction. It is within the scope ofthe present invention for slide rail 13 to have teeth with any shapethat enables locking arms to engage slide rail 13 to lock when lockingmechanism moves downward but not lock when locking mechanism movesupwards. Locking arm 30 is pivotal about pivots 56 so as to engage anddisengage teeth 54. A locking arm spring 31 maintains tension betweensurface 52 and locking arm 30 acts so as to maintain contact between thelocking arm 30 and teeth 54 of notched slide rail 13 in the absence offorce from on locking buttons 24. Locking button 24 act on locking arm30 to set it in the unlock position when locking button 24 is depressedthus enabling support arm 11 to move in a vertical upward and downwarddirection. When the button 24 is set to the locking position, supportarm 11 may only be moved vertically upward along vertical support 14 andis adapted to be locked by each notch of slide rail 13 as verticalsupport arm 11 moves downward.

FIG. 5 illustrates an alternative embodiment of locking mechanism 23. Inthis exemplary embodiment locking arm 30 is coupled to a weight 45instead of a locking arm spring 31. The gravitational force of weight 45acts on locking arm 30 through pivot 56 to secure it against slide rail13 so that the saw-tooth shape of the notches enable locking arm 30 toengage and lock in place when a support arm 11 moves in a downwarddirection and to ratchet against the saw-tooth shaped notches whensupport arm 11 moves in an upward direction. Slide rail 13 is secured tovertical support 14. Weight 45 may for example be in a range from about0.2 to about 1 pounds. Locking button 24 act on locking arm 30 to set itin the unlock position when locking button 24 is held in the unlock(that is the upward position), thus enabling support arm 11 to move in avertical upward and downward direction. When button 24 is released tothe locking position, (that is in the downward position) support arm 11may only be moved vertically upward along vertical support 14 and isadapted to be locked by each notch of slide rail 13 as vertical supportarm 11 moves downward.

In a further exemplary embodiment of the present invention notched sliderails 13 may not have notches but be relatively smooth. In this instancelocking arms 30 enter into locking engagement with slide rail 13 byforce created by locking arm weight 45 and the force generated by theweight of the locking support mechanism 23.

FIG. 6 illustrates a single-line diagram of the operation of the presentinvention. A spring 40 is physically disposed inside vertical support 14and fixedly coupled to spring mount 39. Spring mount 39 its fixedlycoupled to vertical support 14 at an upper end and disposed withinvertical support 14. Spring 40 is physically coupled to a lower springpulley 48 at the bottom of spring 40. And upper spring pulley 46 itsfixedly coupled to the top of vertical support 14. A cable 19 isphysically attached to spring mount 39 on vertical support 14, ismoveably attached to lower spring pulley 48 and upper spring pulley 46and attached to support arm 11. When support arm 11 is move to a resetposition spring 40 coils to provide tension force of about 15 pounds andup to about 100 pounds. A foot petal locking arm 58 is adapted to be inlocking engagement with an arm support notch 60. Support notch 60 isfixedly coupled to support arm 11, thus in the reset position foot pedallocking arm 58 holds support arm 11 in the reset position. The lockingarm spring 31 holds foot the locking arm 58 and the locked position. Afoot petal cable 43 is physically coupled to foot petal locking arm 58and a foot pedal 27. Foot petal 27 is pivotally attached to foot petalplate 62 and acts to extend cable 43 so as to unlock foot petal lockingarm 58 when foot petal 27 abuts against a foot petal cable stop 44.Locking mechanism 23 is said to be in an unlock position when foot pedal27 is depressed to foot petal stop 44. Although a tension force range ofabout 15 to 100 pounds has been selected in this embodiment any forcemay be selected that will automatically raise support arm 11 so as tocontact the barbells and lock in place when the foot pedal switch 27 isactivated.

To operate the self spotting safety bench press 10 of the presentinvention, a user can place a barbell on the barbell rests 26 and beganlifting the barbells up-and-down the normal manner after the supportarms are set to the reset position. If the user is unable to return thebarbell to the barbell rests the user may depress the foot pedal 27 andunlock the foot petal locking arm 58. The release will allowcounterweights 15 to drop down thus causing the support arms 11 to riseas the counter weight 15 pulls the support arm 11 upwardly to makecontact with the barbell. Once contact is made by the support arm 11with the barbell, the user can let go of the barbell and get out fromunder the weight. To raise the barbell to the barbell rests 26 theweightlifter may raise one side of the barbell up at a time and thelocking mechanism 23 of the support arm 11 will prevent the barbell fromfalling back down. After raising the bar high enough using the supportarms 11 and locking mechanism 23, the weightlifter can lift the barbellone side at a time back onto the barbell rests 26. Pushing the lockingmechanisms buttons 24 and holding in the locking buttons 24 in theunlatch position on support arm 11 and pushing the support arm 11 backdown to the lower end of the vertical support 14, they can resent thesupport arm 11 on one side. The user can repeat this procedure to raisethe other side of the barbell to the barbell rests 26. Thus the supportarms 11 can be locked in place by releasing buttons 24 after supportarms 11 have been moved to the reset position. This action makes theself spotting bench press of the present invention and ready for thenext exercise set.

The previously described embodiments of the present invention have manyadvantages, including having support arms 11 that are independentlylifted by counter-weights 15 and held in place by a mechanical lockingassembly 23 that allow only upward movement of the barbell and supportarms 11 when the release button 24 is not engaged. The counterweights 15are not used to lift the weight of the barbell only but to lift thesupport arms 11. The present invention also does not use an externalpower source such as an electric or hydraulic motor. It is designed tostop a free-weight barbell from downward movement and support thebarbell in place when the locking mechanism 23 is activated. A footswitch 27 activates the locking mechanism 23. While the support arms 11hold the barbell, the exerciser can push upward on the barbell and thesupport arms 11 will continue to move upwardly and will lock into thenext tooth 54 available on the vertical support 14 and thus prevent thesupport arms 11 from moving downward. Only upward movement of thebarbell is possible once the foot panel locking arm 58 has beenactivated and the support arms 11 contact the barbell. The barbells mustbe put on barbell rests 26 before arm supports 11 can be reset to itsoriginal position. Resetting this machine is possible by the user anddoes not require removal of the weight plates on the barbell to returnthe barbell to the barbell rests 26.

While only certain features of the invention have been illustrated anddescribed herein, many modifications and changes will occur to thoseskilled in the art. It is, therefore, to be understood that the appendedclaims are intended to cover all such modifications and changes as fallwithin the true spirit of the invention.

1. An apparatus for safely supporting a barbell above a weightliftingbench comprising: at least one vertical support having a slide railcoupled to said vertical support; at least one support arm mechanicallycoupled to said vertical support and said slide rail; and a lockingmechanism fixedly attached to said at least one support arm, saidlocking mechanism having at least one locking arm adapted for lockingengagement with said slide rail so as to prevent vertical downwardmovement of said support arm when said locking arm is in the lockedposition and to enable vertical movement when said locking arm is in theunlocked position.
 2. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein saidlocking mechanism comprises at least one weighted locking arm adapted tolockingly engage slide rail so as to prevent vertically doward movementof said locking mechanism with repect to said verticle support.
 3. Theapparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said slide rail furthercomprises notches and said locking arm is spring loaded so as tolockingly engage the notches of said notched slide rail to preventdownward movement of said locking mechanism with respect to saidvertical support.
 4. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, furthercomprising a foot pedal adapted to lock said support arm to preventupwardly vertical movement along said vertical support in the lockingposition, and releasing said support arm to enable upwardly verticalmovement when said foot pedal is set to a unlocked position.
 5. Theapparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said locking arm furthercomprises a button adapted to unlock said at least one locking arm in anunlocked position so as to enable relative verticle movement of saidsupport arm with respect to said vertical support.
 6. The apparatus asrecited in claim 1, further comprising a counter-weight assemblymechanically coupled to said at least one support arm.
 7. The apparatusas recited in claim 6, wherein said counter-weight asstembly comprises:a counter-weight; a pulley fixedly attached near the top of saidvertical support; and a cable fixedly attached to said counter-weightand fixedly attached to said arm support, wherein said cable is moveablyattached to said pulley so as to transmit force from said counter-wightto said arm assembly.
 8. The apparatus as recited in claim 7, whereinsaid counter weight is disposed inside said at least one verticalsupport.
 9. The appartus as recited in claim 7, wherein said pulley isdisposed within said at least one vertical support.
 10. The apparatus asrecited in claim 6, wherein said counter-weight assembly comprises: aupper spring pulley attached to said vertical support at an upper end; aspring having one end attached to said vertical support, and havinganother end attached to a lower spring pulley; and a cable attached tothe upper end of said vertical support, wherein said cable is moveablycoupled to said upper spring pulley and moveably coupled to said lowerspring pulley and affixed to said arm assembly.
 11. The apparatus asrecited in claim 10, wherein said spring is disposed inside saidvertical support.
 12. The apparatus as recited in claim 10, wherein saidlower spring pulley is disposed inside said at least one verticalsupport.
 13. A locking assembly within a self-spotting bench presshaving a arm support with a side support, wherein the locking assemblycomprises: at least one locking arm moveably attached to the sidesupport of the arm assembly; a locking arm weight coupled to an upperend of said at least one locking arm and in enguagement with the sidesupport and said at least one locking arm; and a unlocking buttonmechanically coupled to said at least one locking arm so as to move saidlocking arm into a locking position and an unlocking position.
 14. Thelocking assembly as recited in claim 13, wherein said unlocking buttonis mechanically attached to said locking arm to move said locking arm ina unlocking position when said locking button is depressed and to alocking position when the unlocking button is not depressed.
 15. Anself-spotting bench press comprising: a pair of vertical supportswherein each vertical support has a slide rail coupled to said verticalsupport; a pair of support arms mechanically coupled to each verticalsupport and coupled to a pair of slide rails; a pair of lockingmechanisms fixedly attached to each support arm, each of said lockingmechanisms having a locking arm adapted for locking engagement with saidslide rail so as to prevent vertical downward movement of saidrespective support arm when said locking arm is in the locked positionand to enable vertical movement when said locking arm is in the unlockedposition; a foot pedal adapted to lock said support arm to preventupwardly vertical movement along said vertical support in the lockingposition, and releasing said support arm to enable upwardly verticalmovement when said foot pedal is set to a unlocked position; and acounter-weight assembly attatched to each respective support arm;wherein each one of said locking mechanisms comprise at least one weightloaded locking arm adapted to lockingly engage said notched slide railso as to prevent verticly downward movement of said locking mechanismwith repect to said verticle support.
 16. The self-spotting bench pressas recited in claim 15, wherein said counter-weight asstembly comprises:a counter-weight disposed inside said vertical support; a pulleydisposed inside said vertical support and fixedly attached near the topof said vertical support; and a cable fixedly attached to saidcounter-weight and fixedly attached to said arm support, wherein saidcable is movably attached to said pulley so as to transmit force fromsaid counter-wight to said arm assembly.
 17. The self-spotting benchpress as recited in claim 15, wherein said counter-weight assemblycomprises: a upper spring pulley attached to said vertical support at anupper end; a spring disposed within said said vertical support andhaving one end attached to said vertical support, and having another endattached to a lower spring pulley; and a cable attached to the upper endof said vertical support moveabley coupled to said upper spring pulleyand moveably coupled to said lower spring pulley and affixed to said armassembly; wherein said lower spring pulley is disposed inside saidvertical support.
 18. The self-spotting bench press as recited in claim15, further comprising barbell rests fixedly coupled to each one of saidvertical supports.
 19. The self-spotting bench press as recited in claim15, wherein the bench press is adjustable in the incline andalternatively in the decline positions.
 20. The self-spotting benchpress as recited in claim 15, wherein the bench press has a barbellrests at the upper end of said pair of vertical supports.